She didn't remember how many times she had relived the nightmare, nor the life she lived before it all began. The never-ending cycle of killing and dying… she understood how so many before her had succumbed to the madness. The thirst for blood was insatiable, and each time she felt her skin tear, her bones shatter and her body broken, it only made blood more tempting. But she had seen what it had done to her fellow hunters… and how it felt for her to put them down.
To say that she made friends would be a gross misrepresentation of the word. No, she simply had peers. Father Gascoigne, Henryk, Djura, Eileen and Gehrman; these were all mentors to her at some point, either directly or indirectly, but she has had to kill each of them at least once. There were others, of course, Alfred of the Executioners, Valtr of the League, Iosefka and the Choir member who impersonated her, and even the Queen of Cainhurst Annalise. The Good Hunter had tried so many different paths to escape from the Hunter's Night, but they all ended the same… with her waking up in Iosefka's Clinic, destined to relive the night again and again.
But this time was different. The Plain Doll stopped her from slaying Gehrman again.
"Good Hunter," the Doll called out to her as she stood in front of the nightmare fog. "Do you not tire of the Hunt?"
"Of course," replied the Good Hunter, with a humorless laugh. She turned back to the Doll. She had realized many cycles ago that the Plain Doll was the only other entity that held memories of previous Hunter's Nights. "What about you? Have I bored you?"
"Not at all, Good Hunter," the Plain Doll replied, grasping the Good Hunter's hands. "You have outlasted all of your predecessors by more than a millennia," she said, gesturing to the many graves around them. "Good Hunter, it does not sit well knowing your actions will continue to not make a difference here."
The Good Hunter arched an eyebrow, her expression mostly hidden by her hunter's mask. "Doll, what do you mean to say? I only know the Hunt now, what more can I do?"
The Plain Doll let go of the Good Hunter's hand, and caressed her cheek. "Surely you jest, Good Hunter. You are the most capable Hunter I have watched over. You have long since surpassed Gehrman and have even slain my brothers and sisters time and time again. Most impressive still, is that you have kept your sanity all the while."
"Sanity?" the Good Hunter nearly scoffed. "My dear Doll, you truly do not understand your creators. I have long since lost my humanity; what I have done… what I do…"
"Good Hunter," the Doll consoled, "humanity is not the same as sanity. You have gained knowledge that has turned lesser humans to madness. I cannot allow you to continue to relive this night any longer."
The Good Hunter took a step back from the Plain Doll. She removed her hunter's mask, revealing her ever-youthful face. "What are you saying, Doll?"
"I was given a role to empower the Hunters who Dreams and I have done my best to fulfill that role. However… I have done something sacrilegious, Good Hunter." The Plain Doll turned away, as if ashamed. "I feel a sort of fondness towards you, Good Hunter, and I have questioned my role."
"..." The Good Hunter looked at the Doll in silence, confused. She stared at the Doll, waiting for her to continue.
"I wish to release you from the Night of the Hunt."
"Release me?" the Good Hunter asked carefully. "Doll, what are you implying? Have you been the one keeping me here?"
The Plain Doll looked up, alarmed. "No, Good Hunter, you misunderstand! I am not the one who put you here, nor am I the one holding you here."
"Then how will you release me?"
"My role was not only to strengthen you through Blood Echoes, but my existence in this Hunter's Dream holds this reality from bleeding into the Waking World. If I were to-"
"NO!" shouted the Good Hunter, startling the Doll. The two stared at each other for a moment.
"Good Hunter…" she whispered, smiling softly.
The Good Hunter placed her hands on the Doll's shoulders, looking directly into her eyes. "My Dear Doll… You have told me this countless times before, but the same is true in regards to you. Your presence… it soothes me too." The Good Hunter pulled the Doll into a tight embrace. "You are the only entity in this forsaken nightmare that has never tried to kill me… I cannot lose you."
"That… brings me great joy to hear that from you, Good Hunter." The Doll returned the embrace, a crystalline tear forming on her face. It wasn't until it fell and a soft clink was heard that the two separated. The Good Hunter picked up the golden stone.
"This… is unprecedented," she said. The Doll simply smiled at her, recomposing herself. The Good Hunter pocketed the tear, deciding to look into it later. "How would the merging of the Waking World and the Hunter's Dream affect you?"
"No one can truly say, Good Hunter, it has never happened before, but I will do everything in my power to ensure your safety." The Plain Doll waited for a sign of affirmation, before she began to walk towards the garden Gehrman was waiting in. The Good Hunter waited, unsure whether she should follow or not. Before long, the Plain Doll returned, pushing Gehrman with her.
"What sort of trick is this," Gehrman asked, leaning forward. "You may be a woman of few words, but to send the Doll to confront me is cowardly. Tell me, Hunter has this dream finally taken its toll on you?"
The Good Hunter replaced her mask and began to reach for her saw cleaver, knowing he was fully capable of fighting. Gehrman seemed to notice this, and began to stand, but was suddenly held in place by the Doll.
"I apologize, Gehrman." The Doll's voice was as gentle as ever, but for some reason, there was a certain edge in it that the Good Hunter nor Gehrman had heard before. "I believe it is time for you to be released from this Dream."
Gehrman snarled as he tried to break free from the Doll's grasp, but her manikin-like fingers felt like a vice on his shoulders. "What is the meaning of this? You dare defy your creator, Doll?!"
"Good Hunter, take Gehrman's weapon," the Doll ordered, ignoring Gehrman. The Good Hunter obeyed, shifting the Burial Blade into it's two-handed form. She turned back to Gehrman, who was cursing them. "Gehrman, please, submit yourself. You have hosted this Dream for too long."
"You fools!" Gehrman shouted. "If you kill me, He will come and take you! The Dream will always need a host, and if I am killed, that burden will fall to you, Hunter. Are you prepared for that?!"
"Gehrman," the Good Hunter spoke softly. She raised the scythe above her head, poised to strike. "I have killed you countless times, your threats are empty."
"Killed me?" Gehrman stopped struggling, confused. "No, that can't be right… He would have replaced me if that was the case…" The Good Hunter made to strike, but the confusion in Gehrman piqued her interest.
"What do you mean?"
Gehrman turned towards the Good Hunter as the Doll released him. "The Great One in the moon, have you not come face to face with him?"
The Good Hunter dropped the weapon and walked in front of Gehrman, confused. "W-what? No."
The Doll took a few steps back, allowing the two to speak.
"Hunter, I was not always the shadow of a man you see before you," he admitted. "Though I imagine you have long since figured that out if you truly have killed me as many times as you claim. I was the one who founded this workshop in the Waking World, I was the first one to fight the beasts born from blood."
"I already knew all of this," the Good Hunter scoffed. "What do you mean there is a Great One in the Moon? Every time I have killed you, I black out and wake up in the clinic in Yharnam."
Gehrman leaned back in his wheelchair and looked up to the moon. Ever since being trapped, he had sensed the presence in the moon. But now… it seems that it had faded. "What is the meaning of this…?"
The Good Hunter took a knee next to Gehrman, looking up to the moon. "Gehrman, I have fought and killed many Great Ones and Kin. I have never felt a gaze from the moon, even after slaughtering Rom."
Gehrman looked to his apprentice and sighed. "It seems that I owe you an apology," he admitted. "However, now I wonder what is holding us to this Dream. If the Presence in the moon no longer holds dominion over me… then-"
Suddenly the sound of blood splattering cut him off. The Good Hunter jumped back before the strike had landed out of instinct. She stood poised, ready to fight, only to see the Doll holding the bloodied scythe. She dropped it without much fanfare, and looked up to the moon.
"He was right," she admitted. "The Moon Presence is the one who trapped Gehrman here."
"Why did you kill him?" the Good Hunter asked, lowering her weapons. It was evident that the Doll was not going to fight.
"The Moon Presence can see and hear through Gehrman. Everything he said would have informed Him of what Gehrman and yourself have learned. Not to mention that now, He has no reason to continue hiding up there."
The Good Hunter looked up to the moon, only to see a dark shadowy figure descending. Once again, she readied herself for battle.
"I see…" the Doll whispered. "You are injured."
"What do you mean?"
"The Moon Presence," the Doll clarified. After a few moments, the Great One touched down. To the Good Hunter's surprise, he seemed to be dying. While the entity had an alien body, it seemed to be missing a large portion of it. "I understand."
"What are you talking about?" The Good Hunter asked, taking a step forward towards the pair.
The Doll looked at her and smiled. "Apologies, Good Hunter, I failed to realize that you cannot communicate with the Great Ones like I do. The Moon Presence has been mortally wounded many centuries ago. To keep himself from succumbing to death, he has been borrowing the lifeforce of his brothers and sisters… which is why you have been trapped in this never ending cycle."
The Good Hunter grew angry at the Great One, but something calmed her. The entity seemed so… pathetic. With so much power, this creature had turned her existence into a nightmare with no hope in sight. Ironically enough, this Great One had no hope either; it was only delaying the inevitable.
"Good Hunter, if you kill him, this dream should cease to be, and you will inherit its power. Strike him down."
The Good Hunter obeyed with no hesitation. The creature didn't have the strength to even squirm. It just fell over limply. The Doll placed a hand on the fading corpse of the Moon Presence, smiling at the Good Hunter. The sky of the Dream began to flicker, as if some illusion was beginning to fade. The clouds began to fade first, revealing stars, then the fog that obscured the distance lifted. The Good Hunter had expected to see the same skyline as the Waking World, but the buildings simply weren't there.
When Rom was slain, Yharnam had revealed the eldritch horrors that watched passively. Yet now, the Good Hunter realized that she was truly alone. As far as the eye can see, there was nothing. As she looked around, she noticed the shattered moon. "What is happening?" asked the Good Hunter.
The Plain Doll looked slightly alarmed. "I… am not sure. The Waking World and the Hunter's Dream should have merged… but this land does not resemble the Waking World in the slightest. Unless…"
The Good Hunter walked towards the empty land, but something caught her eye. The Messengers were gathering somewhere new. She followed them to the garden where Gehrman had been waiting and was surprised to see six new headstones; the Messengers had gathered around one. The Doll walked up from behind and gazed at the only glowing headstone. "What could lie on the other side?" the Doll asked.
"There is only one way to find out, my dear Doll," said the Hunter. She placed her hand on the headstone and felt the familiar sensation of reawakening. Before fading completely, she saw a sad smile form on the Doll's face.
The world she awoke in a place that was much… different. At first, she was convinced that she was in an unexplored area of the Forbidden Woods, but the lack of blight and presence of mountains quickly changed her mind. The trees here were much thicker and the ground actually had grass. Unsure, the Good Hunter did what she knew best; she pressed on.
Journeying through the lush forest brought a strange feeling in the Good Hunter. For as long as she could remember, death surrounded her. Whether it was blood addicts succumbing to the beast scourge, pale blood experiments gone wrong, mutated venomous snakes and famine stricken forests or actual undead rising from the bell of a Chime Maiden in dungeons and nightmares… this new setting felt wrong. Her guard was up even higher than normal, something she wasn't aware could be possible, as she pushed aside branches and stepped over bushes. Perhaps it was her hyper-awareness or her natural instinct from endless nights of combat that she was able to evade being skewered by a massive feather. Unimpressed, she looked up to see the giant responsible for the attack.
"Well, that is unexpected," she mumbled to herself. As battle-hardened as she was, she had very little experience with a foe with true flight. Undeterred, she manifested her Bowblade already transformed. The target was large and its flight path predictable, making the shot straightforward enough. Pulling the arrow back as far as she could, she let the projectile fly. The arrow flew true and lodged itself in the side of the massive bird's head, earning a loud screech. Quickly falling, the Good Hunter dismissed her weapon. Now, she felt at home.
Hours passed, and the Good Hunter found herself slaying beast after beast, some taking familiar lycanthropic forms, while others took on new bear-like forms. What's more, the beasts seemed off. Signs of the scourge weren't there, but they acted similar enough. She was a Hunter after all, it was her job to put down all the beasts that threatened…
She paused for a moment. Did this world have any sane people to save? She had saved the same handful of people countless times; The old woman, Arianna, Adella, and the skeptical man… were these beasts threatening anybody? Or were they like the beasts in Old Yharnam without a watchful protector like Djura? Regardless, she knew she would have to defend herself, whether these beasts were quarantined or not. With a new goal in mind, she pressed on, making the smallest effort to spare whatever beasts didn't attack her first. It didn't take long for her to see all these dark creatures were malicious, and what little mercy she had disappeared.
More hours passed before she began to notice she had actually made progress; there was a river ahead. She looked around for any signs of crossing, but the river was too wide for her to attempt to swim across. The Good Hunter looked around for a higher ground to survey the area, and once she did, she saw a tower in the distance. Unfortunately, it was across the river after all. Destination in mind, she walked up the river towards the mountains. Before long, she came across a shack. After a few minutes of looking around, she had found a lone gravestone, worn fishing rods and a corpse lying in a bed. It did nothing to phase her, having been around much worse. Having no time to rest, she pressed on, her mind wandering back to the Doll. She seemed sad to see her go. In all her cycles of the Hunter's Night, nobody else held her in any positive respect, much less shown her any affection. The closest thing she had made to a friend was reluctant allies. Alfred was nice enough at first, but it only hid the madman obsessed with killing Annalise, Eileen was battle hardened and tired of putting down her fellow Hunters and Gehrman… he succumbed to madness, only it wasn't the Beast Scourge that did him in, it was the never ending dream. The Doll… she was a comforting presence every cycle. Always gentle, always kind and always helpful. The more the Hunter thought about it, the less it sat right that she left her in the Dream all alone. Now, even Gehrman was gone.
Still… she was just an object created by Gehrman, wasn't she? She admitted it herself on multiple occasions. She always ended it with the same question.
"Hunters have told me about the church. About the gods, and their love. But... do the gods love their creations? I am a doll, created by you humans. Would you ever think to love me? Of course... I do love you. Isn't that how you've made me?"
Her thoughts were interrupted once more by what sounded like gunshots. She looked up with vague interest. She would not be able to make it in time, unless the individual was able fend off whatever attack they were facing. If it was anything like the beasts she'd fought herself, she knew it wasn't too much of a threat. Still, she decided to quicken her pace and found the lake in where the river flowed from.
"Finally…" she muttered to herself.
The gunshots became louder as she finally crossed the river followed by thunderous explosions, and the Good Hunter broke into a run. From experience, explosions were never used lightly; the individual was either panicking, or mad. Regardless, she would have to be there to help or slay them before something worse happened. Manifesting her Saw Cleaver and Hunter's Pistol, she found the source of the ruckus. Before her was another group the strange shadowy creatures that resembled the Scourge Beasts. They surrounded a pair of kids who appeared to be in their late teens. One had a sword and shield, the latter earning a frown from the Good Hunter; shields did little against the strength of a fully transformed beast. The other had a pair of short green blades attached to a firearm of some sort. He was much more composed, but he seemed to have sustained more injuries.
"Crap, what do we do, Ren?! We're surrounded!" the blond teen shouted to his ally. The Good Hunter did not bother waiting for a reply, and instead holstered her gun and manifested the tiny Tonitrus, slamming it on the ground. Giant arcs of lightning traveled across the ground, electrocuting a half dozen, creating an opening in the pack's circle.
"Come to me," she ordered, drawing her pistol. Without hesitation, the two boys ran towards her. She quickly gave them a glance over, seeing no signs of the scourge on them. She breathed a sigh of relief. "Get to safety, I will take care of these… beasts. You take care of your friend, make sure his wounds are not corrupted with the scourge."
The blond nodded, helping Ren and getting a safe distance away. "Gods, I'm sorry Ren, I-" He seemed to choke on his words. The Good Hunter kept an eye on the pack, ensuring to stay between them and the two kids. Finally, the one closest to her lost its patience and lunged at her, the rest following closely behind.
The direct attack was predictable, and she simply raised her gun and shot it just as it opened its mouth to bite down on her. The bullet ripped through its jaw, causing it to stagger. Wasting no time, she plunged her hand into the creature's chest, tearing out whatever she could get her hand on. Several more creatures lunged forward, not having learned from the first one. In response, she swung her cleaver, transforming it to increase the force and range, successfully knocking the creatures back. Snapping the Saw Cleaver back into its closed state, she walked towards the group with an apathetic look in her eyes, but a wicked smile underneath her mask.
"Jaune!" a feminine voice called out. The Good Hunter looked up, toward the voice to see a red-headed girl in bronze armor. The temporary distraction allowed one of the wolf-like creatures to land a blow from behind, tearing deep gashes into her back. The girl looked alarmed. "Oh, I'm sorry!" She then drew a bronze and red sword and a bronze shield and jumped into the fray. Without hesitation, she slaughtered several of the beasts and made her way next to her. Between the two of them the mob fell swiftly. "Are you okay?" the girl asked, noticing the bleeding wounds on her back.
The Good Hunter brushed off the injury. "You need not concern yourself with my wellbeing. If those two boys are your friends, they went that way. The green one is in worse shape, but otherwise alright."
"Ren?" she asked, concerned. "I'm Pyrrha Nikos, I'm a student from Beacon. Miss, come with me, my team can keep each other safe."
The Good Hunter smiled behind her mask. "Your attention would best be served with your teammates. I would worry more about the blond one if I were you. He was shaking in his boots when I found him."
Pyrrha frowned at the comment but didn't respond to it. "We'll be safer in a group. Besides, you're awfully far from Vale…"
More explosions alerted the Good Hunter, and she spun towards the sound. She was about to break into a sprint, but she was surprised to see a few of the bear-like creatures and lycanthropes fly limply towards her from the treeline. As they hit the ground, they began to turn to black smoke.
"Yeee Haaaw!" An energetic girl shouted as she landed in the clearing. She looked up nonchalantly and grinned. "Hey Pyrrha, have you found the others?"
"I'm afraid not, Nora, but she has." Pyrrha seemed to be giving a hint of some sort towards her teammate that was lost on her.
"Where'd they go?" she asked simply. The Good Hunter just pointed towards the direction she ordered them to flee to. Nora ran off with, "Thanks lady!"
"I'm sorry about her, she's just concerned for our teammates."
"You said you are a student… what exactly are you studying?" she asked carefully. She began to wonder if this world had any connection to her own. Was there a presence of the scholars of Byrgenwerth? What of the Executioner's?
"We're Huntsman and Huntresses in training, ma'am." Pyrrha straightened her posture as if trying to give a good impression of her school. "We're on a training mission to clear this area of Grimm. We didn't think they'd be anybody out here. What are you doing out here, ma'am?"
"Hunting," she replied, manifesting her piercing rifle, "these… Grimm, as you call them."
"Are you a Huntress?" Pyrrha asked, taking in the Good Hunter's appearance.
"Of sorts." She noticed the red-head nod and turned away. She put a white device to her ear and began talking. "Professor, we've cleared the sector. I'm requesting a rendezvous on my position. The others are nearby, but we've encountered somebody claiming to be a Huntress."
"Understood, Ms. Nikos," said the small device.
"Reinforcements?" she asked Pyrrha.
"Yes ma'am!" Pyrrha replied with a smile. Not too long after, the other three students showed up, Nora helping the one named Ren. The injuries he sustained seemed to have been tended to, but he was still weak. "Are you okay, Ren?"
"I'll be fine," he muttered.
"Professor Goodwitch will be here soon," Pyrrha informed.
"Miss," Jaune called out to the Good Hunter. "Thanks for helping us back there."
The Good Hunter acknowledged his comment with a nod, but remained quiet. She noticed another woman approaching, wearing clothes even less suited for combat than the teens.
"Team JNPR, well done," she said to them before focusing her attention to the Good Hunter. "I'm Glynda Goodwitch, I'm a professor at Beacon academy. Who might you be?"
"Just a Hunter passing through," she replied. "These are you students?"
"Yes," Glynda replied, narrowing her eyes at the dismissal of her question.
"You must not be a very good teacher, are you?" she asked. Team JNPR's collective expression dropped. Glynda, on the other hand, felt a scowl forming. "Lack of awareness, hesitancy to act, not to mention the questionable weaponry; what exactly are you teaching them?"
"What is your business out here? This forest belongs to Beacon academy for the purpose of training."
"I am just passing through," she reiterated.
"Then present your Huntress license," Glynda demanded.
"If I refuse?"
"Impersonating a Huntress is a crime. If you refuse, I will bring you in." Glynda drew her riding crop and gestured to Team JNPR to keep their distance. "Are you going to come quietly, or are you going to resist?"
The Good Hunter looked at her strange weapon and stance. It was becoming increasingly clear as to why the students learned so little. "You do not want this fight," she warned. "You would not be the first arcane user I have had the pleasure of putting down."
"Just as I thought," Glynda confirmed. "You're no Huntress, you're just a mercenary. Children, keep your guard up."
The Good Hunter analyzed the five opponents before her. Jaune appeared to be a very direct fighter, considering his simple arsenal. The shorter redhead held a weapon reminiscent to her own Kirk Hammer, only made of metal instead of stone. Ren appeared to be a speed based fight, judging by his two contraptions of gun and blade. The taller redhead had impressed her the most; she clearly could hold her during the hunt, but she seemed a bit naive. Glynda was her concern. Even if the four teens rushed her, she'd be able to come out on top using her arsenal, but having to evade spell attacks on top of that was giving her pause.
Suddenly another thought came to mind. Would she awaken in the Hunter's Dream if she fell? The Moon Presence was the one responsible for the Dream. She would have to proceed with caution, but she refused to allow them to take the offensive. She quickly used her Hunter's Bone. She manifested the Executioner's Gloves on her hands and summoned her Blade of Mercy. Speed was her friend, and if she could eliminate their fastest fighter first, the others would soon follow.
A purple rune-circle appeared in front of Glynda, grabbing the Good Hunter's attention. Suddenly streaks of purple raced towards her. Her body flickered as she sidestepped and again as she closed the distance towards Ren. His surprise was evident, but he raised his weapons to meet hers just in time. Hearing something flying through the air, the Good Hunter ducked as a red javelin nearly took her head off. To her surprise, the shield was not far behind. She flickered away again, now after the disarmed girl, only to feel danger again and flicker away. The two weapons returned to the girl.
"Interesting ability," she commented. The Good Hunter then noticed the hammer wielding student perform an impressive leap while spinning her hammer to give it more momentum. Her mighty swing just narrowly missed as she flickered away once again.
"We can't hit her!" Nora shouted, seeing all attempts fail. The four students fanned out, in an attempt to gain multiple angles and slowly approach. The Good Hunter wasn't alarmed, as she was making eye contact with Glynda the entire time.
"Perhaps you would like to see true arcane arts?" she asked. Dismissing her Blade of Mercy, she brought both hands above her head and activated her Executioner's Gloves. Seven bloody skulls appeared, creating a horrible moaning as they traveled towards the students. They all jumped away, but the skulls followed. The Good Hunter noticed that they seemed bigger than usual. Glynda looked wide-eyed at the strange attack. One had targeted her, Ren, Nora and Pyrrha, while three followed Jaune. The screeching of the skull hitting it's mark along with a pained shout from Nora made everybody turn towards her. In that second, the Good Hunter summoned the Blade of Mercy once more, and rushed in for the finishing blow. She felt the thrill of the Hunt fuel her and let out a maniacal roar as she plunged her short sword down.
Only to miss her mark. She tried to pull the sword from the ground, but instead, it flew towards the taller redhead, before landing at her feet and disappearing. "You are quite the nuisance on the battlefield, Ms. Nikos." As she finished her statement, several streaks of purple collided into the Hunter causing a cloud of dirt and dust to form.
"Did we get her?" asked Jaune, who had only dodged one of the three skulls that homed in on him. The five watched the cloud carefully, listening for any sign of the Hunter. Then, a strange tentacle wrapped around Ren's neck and dragged him in. He struggled in vain and Nora jumped in to help. She reached to grab him, only to be stunned by a sudden gunshot to her head. While not lethal, her vision began to swim and before she could reorient herself, she felt a viscous blow to her stomach.
"Nora! Ren!" Jaune shouted. He and Pyrrha ran in towards the cloud, Glynda not quick enough to shout for them to stop. The tentacle around Ren threw him into Jaune, forcing him to catch him. As he did, a black orb slammed into him, knocking the wind out of him.
"I warned you, Professor." Glynda waved her weapon, directing her Semblance to push all the smoke away. As it did, the Good Hunter stood in the center, wielding the Amygdala's Arm. In its club form, she bashed the back of Jaune's head, who was still recovering from the Blacksky Eye blast. She looked at her two remaining opponents, Pyrrha and Glynda. In a flash, she threw half a dozen throwing knives at the two. Pyrrha raised her shield while Glynda brushed them away with an invisible force, before manipulating them to fly back at the Hunter. With a few more flickers, the knives harmlessly thudded into the ground. She began to get an idea of the two's abilities, but felt the need to test further.
The Good Hunter manifested two Molotov cocktails, throwing them at Pyrrha and Glynda's feet. Glynda once again waved her strange wand causing the explosive to fly another direction. Pyrrha on the other hand jumped forward and began another flurry of attacks. Her form was impressive and combat seemed to be second nature to her. However, the Good Hunter could tell that she had not seen the true battlefield before; the young girl wasn't trying to kill her. Pyrrha lunged forward with her spear and the Good Hunter remained still.
A sickening sound of flesh being torn caused the two natives to halt. Glynda's expression of shock was satisfying to see, but Pyrrha appeared horrified. "I-I…" she began to stammer out. The Good Hunter used this hesitance to pull the spear further into herself, pulling Pyrrha in. In her left hand, she manifested the Fist of Gratia and landed a heavy blow to her head. As the Huntress in training reeled back, the Good Hunter manifested her trusty Saw Cleaver and swung down. Glynda sent dozens of beams to attack the Good Hunter, but they would not make it in time. To the Hunter's surprise, Pyrrha raised her hand up to block the weapon, her hand dimly glowing black. The Saw Cleaver stopped as some invisible force was pushing back on her weapon. She then tried to strike her again with the Fist of Gratia, only for that to be halted too. The streaks from Glynda finally found their mark, exploding on contact and sending the Hunter flying back.
"Ms. Nikos, guard your teammates," demanded Glynda, waving her away. Pyrrha had not seen Glynda as livid as she was now. She immediately nodded and gathered her friends. Glynda stalked to the Hunter who was already rising to her feet. "Yield now, or risk further injury."
The Good Hunter paused for a second before the threat registered fully in her head. "Injury?" she repeated, amused at the word. She gestured to the bloodied hole in her abdomen and laughed, blood staining the mask over her face. "Risk… injury?" Glynda narrowed her eyes, keeping her distance. The Good Hunter began to laugh louder, her Saw Cleaver dissipating. Soon, her laughter grew louder and she began to shake. "You think I fear injury?!" she asked, laughing hysterically. The Bloodletter appeared in her hand now. "Watch me, Witch."
She plunged the mace into her abdomen, making her injury even wider, earning a disgusted look from Glynda. "What a savage display of masochism," she spat. She rushed towards the Hunter who was arched forward limply on the strange mace. She raised her riding crop, icy shards appearing and shooting towards her. With a roar, the Good Hunter ripped out the Bloodletter, an explosion of blood splattering around the battlefield. Glynda was forced to evade the massive spiked polearm that erupted from the bloody explosion.
"Tell me, Professor," the Hunter mocked, viscera pouring from the wound on her stomach. The pain didn't seem to affect her ability to fight, as she twirled the Bloodletter around. "How many times have you experienced death?"
"W-what?" asked Glynda. The Hunter approached twirling the Bloodletter.
"Let me show you your first," she told her with a wicked grin behind her mask. She lifted her weapon, staring down the professor. Before she could swing it, someone tackled her from behind. The two tumbled for a bit until the Good Hunter got back on her feet to see the blond boy Jaune scrambling to his feet. "You must be confusing your foolishness for bravery," she growled. She had thought that the blow to his head would have knocked him out, but he seemed to be able to take a hit. The other two students were still out of commission, so it only left the two swordsmen and Glynda. Throwing caution to the wind, the Good Hunter rushed towards Jaune and Pyrrha, dragging the massive pole arm behind her.
Glynda formed another rune circle while the two students raised their shields. As the Good Hunter swiped at the two, they both jumped back to evade. The momentum of the swing collided with a nearby tree, completely splintering the trunk. She could tell from the expression of the two students that they had not seen a display of power like this before. The redhead shifted her sword into a rifle and peppered the Good Hunter with shots as the blond boy ran towards her with his shield raised.
"Jaune, fall back!" Glynda shouted, causing the boy to halt suddenly. Pyrrha also stopped firing and the three looked on at the Good Hunter.
"Why doesn't she use her Aura?" asked Pyrrha, horrified at the sight. The Good Hunter was covered in bullets holes and her stomach continued to leak a brilliant red. "Should we take her in?"
"I don't think she'll let us," answered Jaune, his voice trembling a bit. His eyes never left the Hunter, who remained standing as if the wounds didn't affect her. She reached into one of her coat pockets and stabbed herself in the leg before he could tell her to stop.
Glynda whipped her weapon around, another salvo of dust infused projectiles homing in on the Hunter. The Hunter simply stood her ground and took a deep breath.
"RAAAAAARGH" she roared, a shockwave erupting from her. The projectiles were deflected around her, leaving her untouched. Activating her Hunter's Bone once more, she closed the distance to Glynda, raising her weapon high.
"Professor!" the students shouted, rushing in to help. The Hunter had taken this into account, and slammed her weapon into the ground, causing a massive eruption of blood as they were all in range. The dark magic of her attack overwhelmed the two students and left Glynda heavily injured.
The Good Hunter stalked over to her, dragging the spiked weapon behind her. "You did this," she whispered to the professor. She lifted the Bloodletter high, savoring the expression Glynda had. Suddenly, the professor's eyes darted behind the Hunter and she felt a presence behind her. She tried to dodge, but it was too late. A heavy blow struck her ribs, the impact shattering them, and sent her flying. The Good Hunter's body struck a nearby tree and fell limply to the ground. She looked up to the short girl, Nora, she had knocked out earlier. She tried to get up, but her body was beyond repair.
"Are you okay, Professor?" Nora had asked. She seemed to say more, but the Hunter's vision began to fade and silence began to engulf her.
"Good Hunter."
She opened her eyes, awaking in the Hunter's Dream. "Doll? You're still here."
"It seems that I have become the new host," she replied, answering the unasked question. "It may be due to the fact that I was the one who struck down Gerhman. Why have you returned, Good Hunter?"
"I died," she replied simply. She touched her ribs where Nora had struck her. "Business as usual. It seems that the beasts in this new world do not grant me Blood Echoes. In fact, they do not seem to have blood."
"Bloodless beings?" the Doll pondered. "How… strange."
"Everything about this world is strange. But I have finally found people… although they did kill me, a few of them seemed hesitant in engaging with me."
The Doll nodded, walking towards the Hunter. She placed her manikin hands where the Hunter held her abdomen. "Do you have enough blood vials, Good Hunter? I can ask the Messengers to make more."
"I will be fine," she assured, her hand lingering on the Doll's. "I have long since stopped minding death."
"How reckless," the Doll smiled, pulling away. "Very well, Good Hunter. May you find your worth in the Waking World."
The Hunter awoke at the edge of the forest, across the shack she had found. The gunshots and explosions predictably went off, and she ran towards them. This time, she manifested her Hunter's Axe and blunderbuss. The Lycanthrope-like creatures were powerful, but were lighter than the beasts she's fought before.
"Crap, what do we do, Ren?! We're surrounded!" said the familiar voice. The Hunter knew now that this boy may feel fear, but he is willing to fight and thus, not to be underestimated. Ren was easily taken care of, but with the injuries he already had, his true fighting potential would have to be tested later. Pyrrha wouldn't arrive for another few minutes, who was still one of the bigger threats, although Nora was deceptively powerful. Glynda's location was still unknown, but she was only a few minutes behind Pyrrha's call for reinforcements.
Following the same path, she decided to help the two teens. While they will become a threat if the fight happens again, they were not afflicted with madness. As a Hunter, she had to try to save them. Wordlessly, she entered the fray, shooting her blunderbuss. The spread of bullets peppered the closest beasts, and she followed up with a mighty swing of her axe.
"W-who are you?" asked Jaune. The Hunter didn't look to him, keeping her gaze on the monsters around them.
"Get to safety," she ordered. She holstered her firearm, and transformed the axe into its two-handed state. She lunged forward, sweeping the axe in a huge horizontal swing. As expected the beasts that attempted to power through were knocked away. "I do not fight well with others."
Jaune nodded, dragging Ren with him. The Hunter seeing that they were gone, lowered her guard a bit. These creatures weren't particularly powerful, but they were fearsome in large numbers. However, they were rather dull, and thinning out the herd didn't pose much of a challenge. She allowed the creatures to surround her, preparing another mighty sweep, when the closest one's head exploded. The momentary surprise wasn't enough to allow the sneaky creature behind the Hunter to land a blow this time, and she side-stepped and beheaded it in one movement.
"Are you okay?" Pyrrha called out from a tree. She jumped down to help, as before, and shifted her rifle into its spear mode.
"I will be fine. I assume the two boys are friends of yours?" Pyrrha's expression brightened, and nodded. "They will be fine."
"Thank you, ma'am," Pyrrha said genuinely. Her expression shifted from gratefulness to an intense focus as she looked around the beasts.
'She definitely has the look of a warrior,' the Hunter thought to herself.
The two began to clear the beasts easily, and easier still when Nora arrived. Her explosive hammer made short work of them, and soon, there weren't any left. The Good Hunter gave the general directions of the other half of the team, to which Nora once again ran off. Pyrrha introduced herself again.
"Miss Nikos?" the Hunter asked, feigning ignorance. "I appreciate your intervention, as well as your friend's."
"Think nothing of it," Pyrrha assured, "after all, I presume you intervened to help my friends?"
The Good Hunter nodded. "It was not the best course of action, but one seemed injured. Besides… they looked young. They have their entire life ahead of them… I have been around long enough."
Pyrrha didn't comment, but it seemed that the Hunter's comment bothered her a bit. "Are you a Huntress?"
"Not at all," she replied. "I got lost in my travels and heard gunshots. I was hoping to find a town or village, but instead I found your two friends surrounded by those-" She was interrupted by a piercing pain in her back. She looked down to see a bloodied white spear-like object. "That damned bird…" she muttered to herself. The look of horror on Pyrrha's face gave her an idea, and she leaned into the feather and dropped to a knee.
Pyrrha armed herself, and began to guard the Hunter, keeping an eye to the sky for the massive bird that the Hunter had slain in her previous life. "Professor, I need immediate backup! I have somebody in critical condition, a giant Nevermore attacked from above the tree lines. I don't have enough firepower to take it down and I have to stabilize the wounded."
The Good Hunter was surprised at her immediate reaction. She kept her shield raised and spear in hand to deflect any further projectiles. "You're going to be fine," she tried to assure, but it was clear she had not dealt with death before.
"Focus on the bird," the Hunter said through her teeth. She tried pulling the quill out, but the massive feather made it impossible to pull it through. Instead, she began to push it the other way.
"Pyrrha!" Jaune shouted, relieved to see his teammate. "Nora's got Ren, have you- oh gods, what happened?!" He nearly dropped his sword when he saw the Hunter skewered to the ground.
"There's a Giant Nevermore near, and it pinned her down. I can't help her with it still around. Help me protect her, Glynda's on her way."
As if on cue, massive feathers flew down on them. To their credit, the two managed to deflect all the feathers without getting hit themselves. The Good Hunter tried to stand, making sure to do so clumsily, and leaned on a tree. "I will be fine," she said, allowing herself to feel the pain in her voice. Using the tree, she snapped the feather off from her back, and yanked the remaining part out from in front of her.
"Holy…" started Jaune. "How did you-"
"No time!" Pyrrha alerted. "It's back!"
This time, several streaks of white and blue projectiles collided with the feathers midair, causing them to miss their mark. The Good Hunter then slid down the tree to a seated position, ensuring to make her wound look as bad as possible. They wouldn't have time to question her presence in the forest if they thought she was going to die any second. They'd have no choice but to rush her to the nearest clinic, where she can then make her escape.
"Children, allow me to take care of the Grimm, get that civilian to safety. The airship will arrive at the rendezvous location in a few minutes."
'She must have called before arriving,' the Good Hunter noted. She allowed herself to be picked up by the tall teenagers, ensuring to lean on them as if she couldn't support herself. It was almost humiliating for her to feign such weakness, but she did what she must.
"Ma'am, you're going to be okay," Pyrrha assured. The Good Hunter was impressed at how steady she kept her voice despite being obviously afraid. The sounds of explosions earned a relieved 'Nora' under her breath. It didn't take long for the trio to arrive at a large clearing. Pyrrha allowed Jaune to hold the Good Hunter as she readied her rifle and began to keep an eye out for any more creatures.
The Good Hunter's mind began to wander. This strange new world was definitely dangerous, if those rabid beasts roamed unchecked, but it was still too early to tell if it was less dangerous that the Hunter's Night. The creatures were about as strong as their scourge counterparts but in greater numbers. Perhaps she had fallen into routine that the number of them no longer mattered, or perhaps she just no longer could feel fear. Regardless, the vibrant colors of the unblighted forests and the blue sky felt more unnatural than any Blood Moon or Eldritch Nightmare she had witnessed.
"Man, you're tough," Jaune said to her, his voice in disbelief. "How are you staying so calm?"
The Good Hunter nearly let out a chuckle. "Would you rather I panic and weep?" she asked amused.
"Wh-what? No, that's not what I meant!" he backtracked, waving his hands. "I just meant that I don't know how I would handle an injury like that! That looks incredibly painful."
The Good Hunter looked down at her wound, which still bled steadily. It was beginning to become difficult to feign the pain. "Perhaps it is the adrenaline coursing through me. Or perhaps I am dying and simply not aware of it." Jaune's face paled. "I jest, but panicking would not be very helpful, would it?"
"R-right," he agreed, looking away a bit embarrassed. A moment later, a large metal shape in the sky began to descend. It was strange to witness, but Jaune didn't seem afraid, so she figured this was the 'airship' Glynda mentioned. It made a surprisingly gentle landing for such a large object. Jaune and Pyrrha wasted no time in dragging her into the thing.
"Miss, stay here, I'm going back to help my team," Pyrrha said. "Jaune, make sure no Grimm gets to the airship; I'll be back with the others shortly."
The Good Hunter was surprised when the four remaining members of the team arrived in a few minutes. Glynda immediately got to work with the wound, which had stained a fair amount of the floor of the airship. "I've done what I can here, but you will need medical attention when we arrive at Beacon. Try not to move around so much, miss… I'm sorry, I don't believe I've caught your name."
The Good Hunter chuckled at the woman's question. It seemed there was no avoiding it. "I do not believe we have had the proper opportunity for such introductions, given the circumstances," she replied. She was stalling for time, as she had not given any thought to what name she should go by. Eventually she conceded defeat. "I… I do not remember my name."
Professor Goodwitch raised an eyebrow. "You expect me to believe that?"
"Believe it, or do not; I cannot provide proof of my existence even if I wished to. I have been given titles, but I cannot recall my own name. My life… It just seems to blur together endlessly."
"Do you think she's suffered some sort of injury that's affected her memory?" asked Jaune hopefully. It seemed that he wanted to vouch for the Good Hunter, but feared Glynda's wrath.
"It is a possibility, Mr. Arc." Glynda crossed her arms at the stranger on the ship. "We will take you to a hospital to heal, but as soon as you're cleared to leave, we will find out who you are. Do you oppose this?"
The Good Hunter was surprised at the turn of events. "I do not."
"Would you allow us to search your belongings?" she added, pointing to the Good Hunter's coat that had been removed earlier. With a nod, she allowed the professor to start looking through it. The Good Hunter had never found a use for the pockets, as her ability to manifest any item she possessed made them redundant. After a few minutes, Glynda found nothing. Even after a pat down, she seemed irritated to find nothing.
"Wait, where's your axe?" asked Jaune, noticing that she no longer had her weapons.
"Axe?" Glynda asked.
"She did help me fight off some Beowolves," Pyrrha added.
"I must have left them in the forest after getting skewered," she shrugged. "Not exactly much I can do with it after receiving this." She gestured to the wound in her abdomen.
Glynda didn't seem convinced just yet. "That's not your first injury is it?"
The Good Hunter looked over to meet her gaze. She was perceptive. "One does not survive out in the world without sustaining a few flesh wounds. Although this was the first time I had been stabbed by a feather."
Glynda narrowed her eyes but said nothing. The rest of the ride to Vale was silent, with only Nora occasionally making a quiet 'boop' sound.
The Good Hunter had obtained forbidden knowledge of Eldritch origins, knowledge that had turned countless lesser minded individuals into madness. She had witnessed strange happenings, slain beasts that defy logic and experienced a hellish limbo longer that she had cared to keep track of. None of that could prepare her for the strange city that came into view. Large buildings, made of glass and steel, paved streets of smooth stone and motorized carriages that lacked horses. Stranger still, she felt none of the presence of the Amygdalae. This strange land composed of right angles and vibrant colors was beyond words. For the first time in a long time, the Good Hunter was in awe.
"Never been to a city like Vale before?" asked Pyrrha. "I must admit, I was amazed by it when I first arrived."
The Good Hunter nodded. "I have never seen anything so… lively."
"Where are you from?" the teen asked, quickly adding "If you remember, or course."
"I do not," she replied simply. She never considered Yharnam home, but she could not recall her previous life before she sought out the blood transfusion. Even in the nightmare she's endured, she was a stranger. There was no place she belonged or felt at peace. However, she was not used to her new freedom. Perhaps, this could be a new start.
"I'm sorry for asking," Pyrrha said, a bit ashamed. She was about to stand up to move back to her team, but the Good Hunter called out to her.
"There is no need," she said simply. "What about you, Pyrrha? What was your home like?"
The redhead smiled at the invitation and took a seat across her. "Oh, well, I'm from Mistral. I was supposed to attend Mistral Academy, but I decided to apply to Beacon." she began, filling the silent ride with pleasant conversation.
The hospital was much bigger and filled with many more people than the Good Hunter had seen in one place before. What was most alarming was the abundance of individuals who had strange traits resembling animals of some sort. The most obvious were the individuals with tails or a second pair of ears, but some even had antlers or tusks. Her first instinct was to draw her Saw Cleaver and go to work, but animalistic traits aside, they showed no sign of the beast scourge. It would take some getting used to, but she would have to make sure to remain as 'civilian' as possible.
She was asked to change out of her Hunter's attire but she refused. The wound was already closing, with a little help from a Blood Vial she injected prior to arriving. Instead she lifted her shirt to reveal the wound was already scarred over. Luckily Glynda was not around, so the Good Hunter was able to convince the doctor's she was fine. She heard mutterings of "Aura" and "Huntsmen and their Semblances" from some of the nurses, but didn't pay them any mind. Soon, she was able to walk out of the hospital much earlier than Glynda and her students would have anticipated. This gave her time to look around the city so she…
A thought came into her head. What was she going to do here? With academies around the world training fighters for these Grimm things, she was not really needed. However, she could not imagine going back to a regular life, whatever that may be in this world. Her only calling was the Hunt, and her only skills were to kill. Would she be trading her endless nightmare for a more colorful one?
She wandered the city unsure of her next step when she noticed a familiar lamp sitting in an alley, unlit. Instinctively, she walked over and lit it Perhaps, she thought, the Doll would know.
A/N
This is my first attempt at a Bloodborne story, although I have loved the game for years. Let me know what you think about it, any and all comments, criticisms and messages are welcomed.
To those of you who know me from my Naruto x RWBY stories... I will post a note on my profile to not inflate this word count too much. The TL;DR is essentially, my bad.